This invention is directed toward an adjustable saddle. More specifically, and without limitation, this invention is directed to an adjustable guitar saddle with variable engagement and adjustability with each guitar string to compensate for differing intonation points of strings having various gauges.
The majority of traditional acoustic guitars and other various stringed instruments such as a mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and cello include the main standard components of a neck with a fingerboard or fret board with multiple frets extending outward from a hollow body. A plurality of anywhere from four to twelve strings each extend longitudinally in parallel spaced relation from a first attachment from tuning knobs of a head stock at an upper end of the neck opposite the body, over a raised transverse nut between the headstock and the fret board, and downward to a second point of attachment to a bridge located on an upper surface of the body of the instrument. Specifically, with acoustic guitars and many of the aforementioned stringed instruments, proximate to the second attachment points on the body, each string extends over a raised, transverse saddle and thereafter extends downward at an angle from the suspension point provided by the saddle through to the second attachment point to the bridge, known as a “break angle”. Thus, the strings are suspended in spaced relation in between and at a height determined by the saddle and the nut over the soundboard of the body and the frets of the neck, wherein the distance between the saddle and the nut is called the scale length of each string.
Furthermore, acoustic guitars and additional stringed instruments include strings having different gauges or weights/thicknesses that allow the instrument to produce a varied array of tones. As a result, each string vibrates with different characteristics defined by the differences in gauges, weights/thicknesses, and the resultant resilience or elasticity of the strings. When one or more of the strings are plucked, strummed, or otherwise caused to be engaged, the strings produce vibrations which travel through the saddle to the soundboard to produce the frequency or tone desired by the instrument's player. As a result, the position of the saddle is critical to proper intonation of each string. However, as each string is held down against a fret to produce a particular tone, the string is stretched such that the tuning of the string is caused to deviate or produce a sharp intonation. Furthermore, because each of the strings has different gauges, weights/thicknesses, and resiliencies or elasticity, the deviation of intonation (or intonation point) for each of the strings is different.
Additionally, the position of the saddle on the bridge as well as the downward pressure of each string on the saddle and resultant break angle has measurable effects on intonation. Improper placements and excessively high downward pressures can cause the saddle to be bowed, warped, bent forwardly or backwardly, and further can cause notches in the saddle under the strings, all of which alter the proper scale length of each string as well as the proper vibration of the string without any lateral “roll”. Traditional saddles are plagued by the aforementioned problems because such saddles are characterized by a single strip of raised material which is fixedly attached to the bridge, and thus unable to compensate for intonation deviations due to differing string thicknesses. Additionally, many traditional saddles fail to properly distribute and/or compensate for string pressure and further fail to provide the proper break angle due, and thus suffer from the foregoing problems. As a result, there exists a need in the art that addresses these problems.
Therefore a primary object of this invention is to provide an adjustable saddle that compensates for intonation deviations due to differing string thicknesses of each individual string.